Citizen activist Ashba Kamran sends final notice to President Zardari demanding revocation of civil awards announced for sitting bureaucrats before Pakistan Day conferment

Lahore citizen Ashba Kamran has issued a final legal notice to President Zardari demanding revocation of civil awards unconstitutionally announced on August 14, 2026 and scheduled for formal conferment on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2027.

By Ashba Kamran | National Affairs & Accountability Desk | MediaBites.com.pk

A Lahore-based citizen activist has issued a formal final notice directly to President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, demanding the immediate revocation of civil awards announced on August 14, 2026 and scheduled to be formally conferred on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2027, which she describes as unconstitutional, legally prohibited, and a severe conflict of interest.

Ashba Kamran, who runs the accountability platform “The Pen That Questions, Voice of Constitution, Spirit of Accountability,” sent the notice dated August 15, 2026. She states this is not her first attempt, having already made a formal representation to the President’s office in August 2025, which was apparently ignored entirely.

The Constitutional Argument

Ashba Kamran’s notice is a substantive legal argument grounded in specific constitutional and statutory provisions, not simply a citizen complaint.

Her central argument invokes Article 259(2) of Pakistan’s Constitution, which limits state civil awards strictly to gallantry, armed forces merit, academic distinction, and genuine public service.

“The term ‘public service’ means extraordinary, altruistic contributions. It does not include the routine, salaried duties of civil servants or political office-holders,” she writes.

She further invokes the Decorations Act, 1975, which explicitly prohibits linking civil awards to administrative rank, seniority, or routine state employment. Her conclusion is direct: bestowing national decorations on sitting executive functionaries constitutes arbitrary patronage and a severe conflict of interest.

She also invokes Article 5(2), establishing that obedience to the Constitution is an inviolable obligation binding on the Head of State himself.

Two Specific Demands — Before March 23, 2027

Her notice contains two unambiguous demands timed deliberately to allow action before the formal awards ceremony on Pakistan Day.

First, issue an executive order immediately revoking all awards from the August 14, 2026, announced list, specifically those granted to sitting civil servants and ministers for standard official functions, before formal conferment on March 23, 2027.

Second, direct the Cabinet Division to formally disqualify routine administrative duty from eligibility in all future civil award nominations.

The notice has been copied to the Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Division, Islamabad.

The Clock Is Running

The strategic timing of this notice matters significantly. By sending it the day after the announcements, Ashba Kamran has given the President’s office more than seven months to act before formal conferment.

She is not asking for awards to be revoked after conferral. She is demanding revocation while the legal window remains open.

She is not a politician. She is a resident of Bahria Town Lahore with a CNIC number and a phone number, and she knows that Article 259(2) has a specific, enforceable meaning.

Seven months remain before Pakistan Day. The constitutional argument is on the record. The President has been notified.

Ashba Kamran has already demonstrated that she will write again.